Apparatus for assembling a stack of sheets

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for conveying single sheets received from a printing press or the like, conveying them by means of relatively narrow endless belts to an inversion section where the sheets are received in a supplemental conveyor in one direction and serve to activate belt conveyors removing the individual sheets in the direction opposite that which they were received; the individual sheets, while inverted for proper pagination, being received in a distribution conveyor successively distributing the individual sheets to receiving sections controlled by deflecting gates and in which the deflecting gates of the respective receiving sections are automatically oriented to a non-deflecting position by control means operatively associated with the receiving section and activated by a sheet received in the section; and distributing conveyors functioning to sort or collate individual sheets in both descending and ascending relation relative to vertically spaced receiving sections controlled by the sheetoperated gates.

United States Patent [191 Jacobs APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING A STACK OF SHEETS [75] Inventor: Josef Egied Jacobs, Vivegnis,

Belgium [73] Assignee: Ordibel S.P.R.L., Herstal, Belgium [22] Filed: Aug. 6, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 61,628

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 June 19, 1973 Primary ExaminerWm. H. Grieb Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland Attorney-Holman and Stern [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for conveying single sheets receiyed from a printing press or the like, conveying them by means of relatively narrow endless belts to an inversion section where the sheets are received in a supplemental conveyor in one direction and serve to activate belt conveyors removing the individual sheets in the direction opposite that which they were received; the individual sheets, while inverted for proper pagination, being received in a distribution conveyor successively distributing the individual sheets to receiving sections controlled by deflecting gates and in which the deflecting gates of the respective receiving sections are automatically oriented to a non-deflecting position by control means operatively associated with the receiving section and activated by a sheet received in the section; and distributing conveyors functioning to sort or collate individual sheets in both descending and ascending relation relative to vertically spaced receiving sections controlled by the sheet-operated gates.

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ATTORNEYJ 

1. Apparatus for assembling stacks of sheets which are to be arranged in a particular order in the stack, the apparatus comprising in combination and in sequence: a. intake conveyor means for continuously receiving sheets singly and in sequence; b. means operatively connected to said intake conveyor means for inverting the sheets singly as they are received from said intake conveyor means; c. distributing conveyor means operatively connected to said means for inverting said single sheets; d. and receivor means including a plurality of receiving sections operatively associated with said distributing conveyor means for receiving single sheets in sequence from said distributing conveyor means; said distributing conveyor means including means for conveying the sheets in succession along a given path, a series of deflectors arranged sequentially along said path and operatively associated with the respective receivor sections for deflecting a single sheet into a respective receivor section, a plurality of control means, one of each operatively connected to each respective deflector and a respective receiving section, said control means including a sheetactuated control portion downstream of each respective deflector for de-activating a respective deflector controlling sheet-accessibility to the receivor section into which a sheet has been received, whereby, successive groups of inverted sheets, each group containing a predetermined number of sheets, are successively distributed to the receiving sections of said receivor means.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for inverting the sheets singly comprises means for receiving the single sheets in one direction, and means actuated by the single sheets for reversing the direction of movement of the single sheets toward a direction opposite that received in the means for inverting and directing them to said distributing conveyor means.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 which said distributing conveyor means and said means for inverting said single sheets comprise endless belts having overlying end portions so arranged that a sheet entrained on the endless belt of the means for inverting is received on the portion of the endless belt of said distributing conveyor means moving in a common direction, said deflectors being positionable transverse to the path of travel of the endless belt of said distributing conveyor means and including means for inverting the single sheets as they are directed into the receiver sections.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for inverting and reversing the direction of motion of the sheets comprises a receiver for sheets, conveyor means including a control for actuation by a sheet upon arrival in the receiver, including means for temporarily bringing the sheet into contact with the conveyor means, whereby the sheet is removed from the receiver.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the receiver comprises a flat support having a smooth upper surface slightly above the conveying surface of the conveyor means, and having a slot through which the conveyor means are exposed, the smooth surface sloping dowNwardly so that the sheet received from the inverting section strikes this surface and slides thereon before making contact with the conveyor means, the sliding direction being opposite to the conveying direction; and a stop arresting the motion of the sliding sheet and having a working face substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction, whereby the sheet is aligned.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the means for bringing the sheet into contact with the conveyor means comprises means for pressing the sheet against the conveyor surface through the slot in the flat support.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for bringing the sheet into contact with the conveyor means includes a control element for raising the said pressing means to press the sheet against the conveyor surface for a time sufficient for the major part of the sheet to pass between the said pressing means and the conveyor surface and for the leading edge of the sheet to be gripped by a deflecting section, the control element including means for releasing the said pressing means after the said time has elapsed.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for bringing the sheet into contact with the conveyor means includes a control switch for actuation by the arrival of a sheet in the receiver.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conveyor means comprises at least one endless belt.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distributing conveyor means includes a series of parallel rollers, at least one endless belt having a rough surface maintained continuously in contact with the rollers for positively controlling individual sheets conveyed between the belt and the rollers.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distributing conveyor means includes two sets of parallel rollers, one set being smooth and the other rough, the rollers of at least one of the sets having knurled surfaces, and resilient means biasing each roller of one set towards the corresponding roller of the other set.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distributing conveyor means includes rollers, and each deflector includes a plurality of deflector members, each roller comprising a plurality of small coaxial rollers all of the same diameter, so arranged as to leave between them sufficient transverse space for the passage of the deflecting member.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each deflector is pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the said path of the sheets.
 14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each control portion comprises means for detecting the passage of a deflected sheet, and means for removing the deflector from the said path, the removing means being operatively connected to and operable by the detecting means.
 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the removing means include a clutch for maintaining the deflector in the said path, means biasing the deflector towards a position removed from this path, the removing means including means operable by the detecting means to release the clutch.
 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for simultaneously returning all the deflectors into the said path.
 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the receivor means comprises a cabinet having shelves for receiving the sheets, means mounting the cabinet so as to be movable relative to the distributing conveyor means, the cabinet carrying a member positioned so as to actuate the said deflector returning means as the cabinet is positioned at the discharge side of the distributing conveyor.
 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control elements are of the electromagnetic type.
 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the, receiver means comprising one of a plurality of cabinets having shelves for receiving the sheets and means mounting the cabinets for movement relative to the distributing conveyor means.
 20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for inverting comprises two parallel rollers located respectively above and below a discharge end of the intake conveyor means, each roller being upstream of the said end, an endless belt passing round the rollers, means for driving the belt around the rollers, and an intermediate conveyor positioned in a reverse direction below said endless belt to receive sheets from the endless belt, whereby a sheet discharged from the intake conveyor means is carried between the endless belt and the said end of the intake conveyor means while being inverted, and is passed to the intermediate conveyor.
 21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intake conveyor means comprises a rigid frame having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting the run of an endless belt, two parallel guide rollers respectively rotatably mounted at the ends of the frame, a set of parallel endless rough-surfaced belts entrained between the two guide rollers and having an upper run resting in said flat surface, means for driving one of the rollers in rotation, and a set of conveyor rollers each having a rough surface and being biased towards an advancing part of a belt, whereby each sheet received by the intake conveyor is held by the conveyor rolls against the advancing part of the belts and is constrained to follow the motion of the said advancing part.
 22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the intake conveyor comprises a plurality of similar sections in angular relation to each other, the belts of each section being inter-related for conveying sheets without interruption to the belts of any succeeding section. 